Not A Romantic Girl
by carissima
Summary: Ginny watches Fleur & Bill's wedding from the sidelines, and tells herself she's not a romantic kind of girl. Not really.


**AN: I don't normally stray out of my two main ships, but I've been itching to write this. I hope you like it. I'd really like it if you reviewed, since I don't normally write HP fiction, and I'd like to know if I should continue writing HP or just leave with this one-shot! I don't have the best memory for everything HP, so feel free to let me know if I've made any mistakes too.**

Watching Fleur and Bill stepping forward to dance their first dance as husband and wife, she blinked and swiped away a tear. Taking a large gulp of butterbeer, Ginny watched her brother guide his bride across the dance floor. She managed a small smile as she watched their glowing faces, the pride on Bill's face and the dreamy expression on Fleur's. Sighing, Ginny realised that the Weasley family was now unequivocally stuck with Fleur Delacourt.

Fleur Weasley, Ginny corrected herself with a silent groan.

Swirling a straw in her butterbeer, Ginny watched idly as other couples joined the newlyweds. Her mum and dad, who both wore the same silly, love struck expression, were among the couples. Ginny smirked as she watched Fred being dragged towards the dancers by Angelina, followed by Alicia dragging George. Surprisingly, her favourite twin brothers were quite the dancers. Moving her gaze, she watched in astonishment as Ron stood by Hermione as she sat, both of them blushing and fumbling with their robes. Ginny's eyes widened as she saw Ron offer her his hand, and Hermione accepting it. Ginny almost fell off her chair as Ron led Hermione to the dance floor and they stumbled into a vague kind of rhythm, whilst Fred and George circled around them, with identical mischievous grins on their faces.

Wearing a similar grin herself, Ginny amused herself by watching Ron and Hermione dance for three consecutive slow songs, rolling her eyes as they got closer with every song. To begin with, Ron had held Hermione about a foot away from him, now Hermione was practically laying her head on his shoulder.

Unable to resist any longer, Ginny turned and locked her eyes on Harry. She knew exactly where he was. She always knew exactly where he was. He'd arrived at the Burrow minutes before the ceremony had begun and kept himself towards the back. Whether it was because he wanted to be alone and unnoticed, or because he didn't want to upset her, Ginny wasn't sure. He was listening to Charlie but not really paying attention. She could tell because he was absently drumming his finger gently against the table. One of his many endearing habits, Ginny noted.

Everything about Harry Potter was endearing, in Ginny's opinion. From the way his tie was never quite straight to the way he ran his fingers through his hair in exasperation. From the way he held her hand as if she were delicate to the way he kissed her as if she'd disappear the moment he broke the kiss. From the way he stared at her with humour dancing in his eyes to the way he stared at her as if she were the most beautiful girl in the world. From the way he began their relationship to the way he ended it.

She was probably the only girl in the whole world who found the way the boy she'd always wanted had broken her heart endearing.

Forcing herself to look away from him, Ginny watched her parents embarrassing Ron and Hermione even more than the twins had. Her mum had grabbed Ron for a dance whilst her dad had swept Hermione away to show her how to actually dance. Hermione picked up the steps pretty quickly, whilst Ron spent the whole dance with his mother blushing and tripping over his own feet. Ginny held in a giggle as her mum gave Ron a resounding kiss on the cheek, obviously deliriously happy about something. Ginny happened to know that her mum had already planned Ron and Hermione's wedding, and was merely waiting impatiently for her naïve son to realise what everyone else knew. That he and Hermione were destined to be.

Unlike her and Harry, Ginny sighed deeply. Her mum hadn't been planning her and Harry's wedding for the past five years. Not that she really wanted her mum to plan her wedding, and certainly not for years beforehand, but just the idea that her mum knew Ron would end up with Hermione with such certainty was … romantic.

Ginevra Weasley did not have a romantic soul. Not one romantic bone in her body. Not a single romantic impulse. She didn't dream of being swept off her feet, or being serenaded by moonlight, or even receiving a dozen red roses. She was extremely practical and immune to any and all romantic gestures.

The tears that had threatened to fall earlier meant nothing. She hadn't cried because of a dumb wedding, for Merlin's sake. Just because Fleur had looked so pretty and Bill had looked at his bride like she was the only person in the whole universe … No, it had clearly been a tear borne of tradition and expectation, and nothing more.

"Ginny, dance with your old dad," Mr Weasley appeared beside his only daughter, having caught a look of sadness on her face from across the garden.

"I'm not really in the mood," Ginny turned to her father and sighed.

He pulled up a chair and sat down, whilst Ginny leaned over and rested her head on his shoulder.

"Why is everything so hard?" Ginny asked. "Why can't anything be easy? Not everything, not all the time, but just once, why can't something be easy?"

Arthur wrapped his arms around her and brought her onto his lap. She hadn't sat in his lap for a very long time, believing that she was far too old and mature to crawl into her Dad's arms, but Ginny immediately found a small measure of peace stealing across her.

"Your mother and I never felt peace until the night Harry … well, the night he became famous," Arthur stuttered over mentioning that fateful night. "You-Know-Who was all we had known up until that night. Since then, we have spent every moment dreading his return. But we have also spent every moment enjoying the life we have right now. One day, Ginny, things will get a little easier. Not much, but just a little." Arthur paused. "You know, Ginny," he continued in a lighter tone, "You are the seventh daughter of a seventh daughter of a seventh son."

Ginny lifted her head and stared at her father.

"That makes you pretty special," Arthur's eyes twinkled. "In fact, the night you were born, your mother and I both remarked that maybe; just maybe, you would be our good luck charm. That maybe you'd change the Weasley's fortune for the better. It has been said that the seventh daughter of a seventh daughter of a seventh son will be a very powerful witch indeed."

"I'm not powerful," Ginny sighed as she rested her head against her father's shoulder once more.

"A very powerful witch would need a very powerful wizard as her equal," Arthur remarked thoughtfully.

Ginny smiled. She knew exactly what her father was up to, but she didn't mind. In fact, it was soothing her troubled mind very nicely.

"Did you know that Harry bears his fathers name as his middle name?" Arthur stroked Ginny's back. "Must be a tradition of some sort, like you having your mother's name as your middle name."

Ginny giggled. "Dad, you're so lame."

"I know," Arthur replied with a chuckle. "But you love me anyway."

"I do," Ginny whispered before slipping off his lap.

Arthur bent to kiss his only daughter on the cheek before whisking Molly away for another dance.

Ginny glanced over at Harry once more. Charlie had abandoned him to Hermione and Ron's blushing antics. Ginny did a double take as she realised that they were holding hands under the table. Grinning, Ginny beckoned her troublesome brothers over.

"What's up, favourite sister?" Fred asked as he sat in the chair his father had just vacated.

"Look over there," Ginny pointed at Ron and Hermione.

"Ronald Bilius Weasley …" George began.

" … has got himself a girlfriend," Fred continued.

"Which means …" George grinned.

"… that all our dreams and wishes …" Fred grinned.

"… have finally come true!" George was already fishing around in his tuxedo for something.

"We've waited for this day for so long," Fred sighed dreamily.

"Little Ronniekins and sweet Hermione have kept us waiting for many a year," George attempted a girlish giggle.

"Sister, dearest, you …" Fred was pulling out various pellets and pills from his trouser pockets.

"… are the best sister in the world," George patted her arm before the twins set off towards the unsuspecting couple, armed with a full arsenal of tricks.

Ginny felt no remorse as she watched their assault. She had listened to Fred and George whinge and moan about Ron and Hermione's lack of relationship for years, as they felt it was their duty, as his older brothers, to welcome him to the world of dating. They had planned this day from the moment Ron arrived at Hogwarts and had his first argument with Hermione.

Ginny watched cupids appear above the couple's heads. She watched as a love heart hovered between them, chattering non-stop about roses, rings and weddings. She laughed as Ron fell off his chair and found himself on one knee before Hermione. He was clearly trying to stand up, but Fred and George had created a spell to keep him on one knee. Ginny giggled as Hermione tried to counter all the spells but couldn't. A photograph album appeared in Hermione's lap and Ginny saw Fred and George had created some kind of future baby snapshots. The poor thing had wild red hair, freckles and a book in one hand, with a wand in the other.

Fred and George sauntered back towards her, laughing hysterically.

"I thought it was a beautiful baby!" Fred simpered.

"I'd say our nephew was quite simply adorable!" George agreed.

The twins winked at Ginny before collecting their dates on their way to the dance floor.

Ginny watched as Harry tried to stop laughing in the face of Hermione's glares and Ron's cries, but it was a lost cause. Giggling to herself, Ginny stood and wandered towards Charlie, who would keep her occupied for the rest of the day until everyone left and she could be alone.

Alone to think about Harry. Alone to dream about Harry. Alone to curse Harry into oblivion.

The pretence of being fine with everything was easy enough. Everyone had been too busy with the wedding to worry about her too much. She would move on, in time. She would stop worrying about Harry quite so much, in time. She would stop hurting, in time. All she needed was time.

It was past midnight and everyone had left. Ginny had managed to avoid Harry all day, or he had managed to avoid her. Either way, they hadn't spoken at all. Ginny was okay with that. Talking to him would only make it harder on her, and she really didn't need to make life any harder than it already was.

Her mum had cleared all the silverware but had left the garden mostly as it was until tomorrow. She and Arthur had disappeared upstairs long ago, giggling to themselves. Enjoying the moment, Ginny remembered with a smile.

"You didn't dance today," came a quiet voice from the darkness.

Ginny closed her eyes, letting his voice wash over her. "I'm not much of a dancer," she tried to joke.

"Liar," he smiled as he stepped into the light. "Hello, Ginny."

"Hello, Harry," Ginny looked up at him.

"Would you dance with me?" he asked softly.

Ginny tried to shake her head but found herself taking his hand instead. Leading her to the dance floor, Harry encircled her in his arms. Laying her head against his chest, Ginny sighed as they began moving to an imaginary beat.

"I've missed you," he told her with a short, soft laugh.

"It's only been a few weeks," Ginny pointed out quietly.

"It's been forever," he sighed.

"I know," Ginny murmured.

He stroked her long red hair. "It'll get easier though," Harry tried to assure both of them.

"Will it?" Ginny wasn't convinced.

"I can only hope," he twirled her around before bringing her back into his arms.

"Harry, this is insane," Ginny looked up at him and smiled sadly.

"I know. But I couldn't help it," he shook his head. "I'd been trying to avoid you today, to make it easier on both of us. It didn't work. I spent the whole day sneaking glances at you and wishing I was brave enough to ask you to dance."

"Brave enough to face You-Know-Who but not brave enough to ask your old girlfriend to dance?" Ginny laughed softly. "You're a strange boy, Harry."

They continued to dance slowly.

"Why didn't you dance today, Ginny?" he asked her.

"Because I don't fit in anyone else's arms," she murmured.

"No-one else fits in my arms," Harry sighed.

They swayed gently in the moonlight for hours, barely talking, just holding each other.

"I've got to go," Harry stepped back and dropped his arms. "Your family will be up soon."

"Okay," Ginny nodded. She watched as Harry stepped away from her. "Harry?" she called and he turned around. "Thanks for the dance," she grinned.

"No problem," he smiled back at her.

Neither moved for an age, until Ginny found herself running at Harry, once again. This time he picked her up and she wrapped her legs around his waist. She pressed her lips against his and released all her pent up emotion in the kiss.

Ginny slowly slid down his body until she was standing again. Ending the kiss, she hugged him tightly.

"Don't forget to come back to me," Ginny whispered.

"I won't ever forget," Harry whispered to her before he disappeared into the darkness once again.

Sighing, Ginny slowly walked back to the house with a small smile across her face. She wasn't a romantic, really.


End file.
